Thursday, June 30, 2011

Review: Fierce Dawn by Amber Scott


Synopsis:

Snarling teeth, glowing eyes. Someone--something--is after her.

The man who haunts her dreams enters her reality, claiming she's transforming into a changeling--not quite immortal but no longer human.

Battlelines are drawn and blood spills as the two fight not only for her life, but for mankind's as well.



Review:


Fierce Dawn is a wonderful love story involving the paranormal world. Sadie is a human who is turning into a changeling. Nobody knows exactly what Sadie will change into, or what her powers will be, so it keeps it kind of exciting. After a family tragedy, some things happen and Sadie is seen as “crazy”. Her sister hovers over her, she is forced to go to counseling, and she basically has meds being shoved down her throat. Everyone acts like Sadie is crazy, and nobody will truly listen to her. This part of the story really hits home with me, and I can totally empathize.

The character of Elijah is wonderful – just what Sadie needs. Through Elijah, Sadie finds out about the paranormal world. Finding out that she is not fully human explains her past actions and behaviors. Elijah and Sadie have amazing chemistry together. Elijah struggles with some inner turmoil and vows to not get too close to Sadie. Sadie, on the other hand, has dreamt about Elijah for months so when he actually comes into her life – she wants nothing more than to be with him.

It did take me just a little bit to get into the story, but once I did I was hooked. This book has a variety of paranormals, a lot of action, sizzling passion, and sweet romance. It's the perfect book for any adult paranormal romance reader. I'm even intrigued by the background characters. I think I read somewhere that it will be part of a series – I really hope so because I want more!


You can buy Fierce Dawn at the following places:

Amazon (Kindle)

Amazon (Paperback)

Smashwords (All formats)

Barnes & Noble (Nook)


Interview and Giveaway with Lisa Kumar!

Today, I have the wonderful Lisa Kumar on my blog! Keep reading for an interview with the author, as well as a giveaway!


What inspired you to become a writer?

While reading, I found that my mind always played the ‘what if’ game. There are so many different ways to write a story, and no two authors will write it the same way.


When did you begin writing?

About two years ago.


What do you do in your spare time?

Read, exercise, and write.


What drew you to the fantasy/paranormal genre?

I love the fantasy/paranormal genre because everything is possible in these worlds. Old legends can have new life written into them, and new myths can be created.


What is your biggest challenge of being an author?

The inertia of trying to write when there are no deadlines is a big challenge. The habit of writing is an easy one for me to break if I’m not careful.


Do you write series, or do you prefer stand-alone books?

For me, it depends on the storyline. Some books work better as stand-alones, while others are better suited to a series. One caveat about series, though, is when they go on for too long. As a reader, three or four books are about my limit. After that, I lose momentum to read the rest of the series.


How many books have you written?

Three--one short story, one novella, and one novel that hasn’t been published yet


What are some of your favorite movies/tv shows?

I don’t watch much TV or many movies, so I don’t have any favorites.


Who is your favorite author?

I have many favorites, but couldn’t pick one over the others. A motto I could live by is ‘so many authors and so little time.’


What are you currently working on?

I’m working on revisions for Mists of Eria, my fantasy romance novel. This was the first story I wrote, and as such, I’m hardily sick of looking at it. I’m waiting for the day revisions end for this particular piece.


Find Lisa at the following places:

Website

Facebook

Twitter


Lisa is giving away an ecopy of Through the Rabbit Hole! (Read my review HERE) All you have to do is comment here with a way to contact you incase you are the winner! The contest is open through July 7th!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Save My Soul blog tour and Giveaway!


Today is my stop on the Save My Soul blog tour! It's a great paranormal romance - you can read my review HERE.


Here is a book excerpt from Save My Soul:

His lips were as full as any man’s had a right to be, and Anna had to stop herself from imagining nibbling on his lower lip. He had the kind of cheekbones sculptors spent a lifetime learning to chisel into stone. Rather than sitting in the chair, he seemed to drape. Casually. Sinfully.

Shirtlessly.

She closed her eyes and raised a hand to her head, feeling for bumps. After what she’d just experienced the last thing that seemed normal was lusting after a hot stranger in her bedroom. Maybe she was dreaming again.

The next words to fly from her mouth were so stupid she would later blame a mild concussion. “You should know this house is haunted, and the last guy who tried anything got beaten bloody for his trouble. So you should ask yourself if it’s worth losing your good looks over.”

His deep, familiar chuckle slid into her, too fluid to be human. Anna vaulted out of the bed, taking the sheets with her, wrapping them around her frame as she went.

“I’ve seen it all,” he said waving a hand away as if he could never be moved by such banal things as nudity.

Not while I was conscious, Anna thought. She backed farther away as he stood and advanced on her. “Um . . . so Beatrice isn’t here?” Diversionary tactics weren’t her strong suit.

There never was a Beatrice. It was him. Her throat tightened again as that thought slammed fully into her brain. She tried to shut out the memories of all the times she’d been a little too naked in the house, either ignoring the ghost or thinking it was a woman.

A slow smile spread over his face. “I’m the thing that killed her.” Fear pulsed through her at his words, and he seemed to savor it like wine. “Beatrice went to Heaven where all good girls with intact souls go when they die. Tell me, my dear, do you think your soul will be intact when I’m finished with you?”

Anna wasn’t sure what was required to keep her soul intact, and was even less sure she could manage to follow whatever the rule was. Especially since she found herself simultaneously repelled and attracted to him.

Again, the thought that she shouldn’t be feeling anything toward this person, or any person right now, danced across her mind, but then evaporated into nothing.

“W-what are you?” She maneuvered around the edge of the room, moving toward the seat he’d just vacated.

“Haven’t you guessed yet? A dirty old demon that slips into your dreams and watches you touch yourself?” When no recognition lit her face, he sighed, exasperated. “I’m an incubus.”

He seemed very put out about it. “You women know all about werewolves and vampires, but the concept of an incubus escapes you. I don’t know why I bother sometimes.”

Anna reached the chair. His self-pity over not being listed on the top ten list of most seductive villains ever was enough distraction for her to grab the floor lamp. She swung it out in a wide arc.

The lamp felt awkward in her hand, but wasn’t too heavy. Yet it went through him as if he wasn’t there and crashed to the floor, causing Anna to lose her balance.

The room was once again cloaked in darkness as his hand shot out and stopped her fall. She pulled away when she was steady, grabbing at the sheet that had slipped partially off her body. Her eyes darted around the dark trying to readjust and determine where the threat had moved to.

She worked to make her breathing and her heartbeat quieter, as if the demon wouldn’t hear them anyway. As if he couldn’t see her somehow in the darkness trying to keep from pulling another fainting act.

Demon. The idea was so ridiculous, and yet . . .

The lamp had gone through him. She’d seen it. How could he touch her if she couldn’t touch him? Was she dreaming again? God, I hope so. Please, let this be a dream.

The silhouette of the demon moved swiftly in front of her, and she found herself backed against the wall. Anna struggled, her arms flailing out to protect herself.

“Feisty,” he growled, pinning both of her small wrists against the wall with one hand. The demon’s lips grazed her ear, and his hot breath sent a wave of unexpected pleasure through her stomach. “I like feisty in a girl.”

****************************************

Author Bio: Zoe Winters writes quirky and sometimes dark paranormal romance. She lives with her husband and two cats, and her favorite colors are rainbow and clear. For more information visit http://www.zoewinters.org or her blog at: http://zoewinters.wordpress.com

You can find the book at the following places:

Amazon (Kindle)

Amazon (paperback)

Smashwords (all formats)

Barnes & Noble (Nook)


And now for the awesome giveaway! Zoe is generously offering a Print copy and an e-copy of Save My Soul! Comment on this post with a way to contact you if you're the winner!

Keep following the tour for more chances to win (including an amazing giveaway at the last stop - Zoe's blog):

The next stop on this tour: Reading Between The Wines

For a complete listing of tour stops - visit The Bookish Snob Promotions


Review: Save My Soul by Zoe Winters


Synopsis:

All he's asking for is her soul.

After buying the antebellum home she's fantasized about since childhood, Anna Worthington discovers Luc, a dangerously seductive incubus who has been trapped in the house by a fifty-year-old curse. To rid herself of her problem house guest she'll call on a priest, gypsies, ghost hunters, and the coven of witches from lust bunny hell. All she has to do is resist him long enough to break the spell so they can go their separate ways. If she doesn't, she could die. And that would be the best case scenario.



Review:



I have to admit that I was first drawn to the book because of the cover. There was just something about it that made me want to read it. Now that I've read it, I have to say that the characters on the cover are a perfect fit! In this book, we have Anna – a strongly, independent woman who is buying a house that she has dreamt about since she was a child. We also have Luc – an incubus trapped inside of the home because of a curse.


With the fact that Luc is a demon who feeds off of sex, you would think that the whole book would be erotic – but really it's not. In fact, Anna and Luc take a frustratingly long time to get together. There is however, a lot of sexual tension. Anna is very stubborn and determined to get Luc out of her house, no matter how attracted she is to him.


I loved seeing Anna interact with the “ghost”. There were a lot of humorous moments. This was one of my favorite lines:

“She'd be damned if some freaky sex demon was going to screw up her Barbie Dream House.”


I didn't really like Luc all that much at first. He just seemed like an overconfident prick. After awhile though, he softened and became much more likable. He had a lot of redeeming qualities – even though he did need a harem of women. I also really liked the banter between these two characters.

There was a big twist toward the end that I didn't know what to think of. One one hand, it was clever – but part of me just wasn't happy with it. Overall, I thought this book was really good and I'd recommend it to any adult fan of paranormal romance. Zoe Winters is an author that I will be trying more of!

Monday, June 27, 2011

The Vampire Who Loved Me blog tour and Giveaway!


Today is my stop on The Vampire Who Loved Me blog tour, presented by Bewitching Book Tours! I was happy to be able to interview Theresa Meyers! Keep reading for more info on the author, an excerpt, and to find out more on the giveaway!

***********************

Where are you from?

The west coast. I say that because I spent my early pre-teen years in San Jose, California, then was moved to the small town of Sutherlin, Oregon when I was 13 and that’s kind of where I grew up. I went to college in Oregon then my husband and I moved to Phoenix, Arizona for about eight years and now we’ve been living near Seattle, Washington for ten years. Humm, now that I think about it, I seem to move every decade or so. Wonder if that means something?


What inspired you to become a writer?

I don’t know that anything actually inspired me to become an author so much as I was just born that way. I’ve always told stories. I’m dyslexic and so when I was younger I couldn’t read, but I adored being read to. My mom gave me a tape recorder and let me ramble on for hours telling the stories in my head.

I got into journalism in school and found I really enjoyed writing and started writing my first novel at age 17. At one point (after writing for 20 years and NOT being published in fiction yet) I was in the American Title II contest (the American Idol of books) as one of 11 finalists in the nation up for a publishing contract. When I got kicked off in about round three or four I decided I was going to give it up. After all, I had a thriving PR agency, what did I need to beat my head against my keyboard for?

Yeah. That lasted about half an hour.

I realized no matter what, I was still going to have these ideas and characters mulling around in my head and have to find a constructive way to deal with that constant barrage of stuff. I figured I could A) tell it to my friends, and potentially lose them all after hogging all the conversations over the years; B) take a second job so I could afford to tell a therapist all my stories and get them out of my head or C) keep writing. I like my friends. I don’t need another job. Writing seemed the best option to staying semi normal and if I was going to keep writing, why not keep sending it out?

What drew you to the paranormal genre?

Actually I’d have to blame that on my mom. She was always doing things to bolster our sense of the magical in the everyday. For instance, when I was about six she read me the story of the Shoemaker and the Elves. Just about the time she finished reading she acted like she heard something outside my bedroom window and told me to listen. I could hear little tiny voices talking. The next morning I woke up to find my room was clean. My mother suggested that perhaps it was the elves that lived in the big stump in the back yard and that I should bake them some cookies or make them something to wear as a thank you (which of course, I did with her help). I didn’t find out until I was in my twenties that she’d put a tape recorder under my bedroom window with a long gap of silence at the beginning of the tape so she’d have time to finish reading the story.

As I’ve gotten older, I still tend to see the world through that lavender colored lens where there is magical in everyday things, whether it’s the changing of the seasons or the opening of flowers or the frogs announcing at night that spring is coming. I try to be sensitive to my sixth sense and feel things just as much as I hear, see, taste, touch or smell them. I guess in many ways paranormal is my kind of normal.


About how many books have you written?

LOL. Do you want me to count the half finished ones, the ones under the bed and still in my computer, or just those that have publishing contracts? All told I’ve probably written ten full books, over a dozen partial books and more than 20 proposed books. This year I’ll have four print books out on the shelves, with three to four more already slotted for 2012. In addition to paranormal romance, I’ve written historical and contemporary romance, young adult, steampunk and urban fantasy.


What is your biggest challenge of being an author?

Good question. The biggest challenge for me is finding balance in everything. I’ve got kids still in school, so I can’t just cloister myself away and write. I have to have a schedule and I have to be disciplined to make sure the pages get done before they get home from school and the rounds of snack, homework, dinner, lessons, carpool, practices, etc. start happening. I also have to work to find balance in work vs. play and remember that exercise isn’t time away from writing, it’s to keep me healthy enough to write and that spending time with friends and family, reading a good book, watching a movie, isn’t time away from writing it’s refilling the creative wellspring within me.

What do you love most about being an author?

Being an author gives you a lot of freedom. Freedom to be creative. Freedom to change how people see things. Freedom to work a flexible schedule and anywhere in the world. Freedom to make a difference while never leaving your house. I love all those things about it. It does require a lot of effort and support, but it’s truly the best job in the world.


What do you do in your spare time?

I like to sew and design clothes. No. Seriously. I’ve been designing things since I was about nine. Mostly Victorian-style gowns. My mother taught me how to sew first by hand, then on the machine when I was very young. I sewed my first dress from a pattern, for her, when I was eight. All through high school if I wanted a formal gown for a dance, my mother would buy me all the supplies, but I had to sew it myself. I even sewed my own gown for the Junior Miss pagent when I was 16. Today I end up repairing items for the kids, sewing my own costumes for steampunk conventions or Halloween, and occasionally do something like sew curtains or a tea-cozy for the house. I think in our current society, it’s kind of a disappearing art. I also love to cook. I can vegetables out of our garden, and make blackberry wine and blackberry jam each summer. And of course I love to read. I also like to watch movies and try to squeeze in a tea day with my friends once a week, which is kind of our mommy time to keep sane.


What are you currently working on?

Remember, you asked…Right now I’m currently in edits for book three for the Sons of Midnight series for Harlequin, The Half-Breed Vampire, that’ll be out in spring 2012. It’ll be a slight expansion of the current world because we get to see how the Cascade vampire clan clashes with the Wenatchee Were pack when a vampire isn’t everything he seems.

I’m also writing my second steampunk paranormal romance, The Slayer, for my Book of Legend Chronicles series with Kensington that’ll be out in 2012 (the first, The Hunter, is out this Nov.) It’s a switch from the straight vampire world because I get to go back to my historical romance roots and write in the Wild West, only it’s the Wild Weird West. The series features three brothers, named after their father’s favorite guns, Winchester, Remington and

Colt, who fight supernaturals, kind of like if you plunked down the Winchester brothers from the television show Supernatural in the West and gave them some really cool steampunk inventions for fighting. It’s part Indiana Jones, part Wild Wild West, and part Supernatural.

In addition, I’m also working on a new urban fantasy romance world featuring dark fae that takes four sisters who can see the fae and get draw into their world to save each other and mankind. The first is a novella called Shadowlander, that will be out in Oct. from Entangled Publishing.


***********************


Thanks for the great interview Theresa! Did you hear that girls? There IS a book 3 in this series! Oh, and i have to say that the sewing thing is pretty cool. Not too many girls can say they made their own gowns :)




The Vampire Who Loved Me

Book #2 in the Sons of Midnight mini-series from Harlequin Nocturne

By Theresa Meyers

ISBN: 0373618603

ISBN13: 978-0373618606

Releases: May 24, 2011


FROM SWORN ENEMIES…


Dr. Rebecca Chamberlin hated nothing more than the vampires who had turned her loved ones into creatures of the night…until she became one herself. Now her experimental vaccine has become more urgent than ever, and has made her the target of vampire security chief Achilles Stefanos.

TO FORBIDDEN LOVERS.

Built like a god with golden hair and an irresistible allure, Achilles made her feel passion the way no mortal man had before. Beck could no more deny her craving for him than she could the hated bloodlust in her veins. But when her vaccine fell into the wrong hands, Beck has a difficult choice to make—one that challenged everything she’d always believed…..

Dark and dangerous, the Sons of Midnight are a temptation that few can resist!

Theresa Meyers Bio:

Raised by a bibliophile who made the dining room into a library, Theresa has always been a lover of books and stories. First a writer for newspapers, then for national magazines, she started her first novel in high school, eventually enrolling in a Writer's Digest course and putting the book under the bed until she joined Romance Writers of America in 1993. In 2005 she was selected as one of eleven finalists for the American Title II contest, the American Idol of books. She is married to the first man she ever went on a real date with (to their high school prom), who she knew was hero material when he suffered through having to let her parents drive, and her brother sit between them in the backseat of the car. They currently live in a Victorian house on a mini farm in the Pacific Northwest with their two children, three cats, an old chestnut Arabian gelding, an energetic mini-Aussie shepherd puppy, several rabbits, a dozen chickens and an out-of-control herb garden. You can find her online on Twitter, Facebook, at her Web site or blogging with the other Lolitas of STEAMED!

http://www.theresameyers.com/

http://www.theresameyers.com/blog/

http://twitter.com/Theresa_Meyers

http://www.facebook.com/TheresaMeyersAuthor

http://www.ageofsteam.wordpress.com/



***********************

Excerpt:


This guy was a vampire. As much as she hated

to admit it, if anyone knew what to look for in the signs

of a person changing into a vampire, it would be one.

Which meant she’d be pretty stupid to send him away,

especially since the pain wasn’t abating.

For once in your life, Beck, stop trying to have a

game plan for everything and just go with this until we

can be certain what’s going on,” Kristin urged.

Beck sighed. Desperation won out over indignation.

She sure didn’t want to die, but she didn’t want to become

one of them, either. “Fine. But I’m only doing it as a favor

to you.”

The tension coming through the phone from Kristin’s

side instantly relaxed. “That’s good enough. Call me if

anything changes.”

Sure. Night.” She stared for a second at the phone,

then handed it back to the stranger in her room.

He took it, scrupulously avoiding her touch as he did

so. “You didn’t believe that Kristin sent me.”

Beck cocked her head to the side. “If a strange man

entered your bedroom, in particular a vampire, would

you trust his word?”

No.”

Right. Then cut me some slack.” She latched on

to the anger burning in her chest formed partly at her

own inability to stop the virus and partly at her needing

assistance from the very beings she detested. She needed

something to help her focus past the pain she felt. She

sighed, shoved her crazed curls out of her line of vision

and peered intently at him.

He had a thin faded scar that bisected his right

eyebrow, the stubble on his chin seemed just as golden

as his hair, but a shade darker.

This was the first time she’d really gotten to analyze

a vampire up close. Beck had to mentally switch off the

scientific section of her brain that was ready to go into

full investigative mode. “So you’re a vampire, huh?”

So I’ve been told.” He gave her a playful grin that sent

heat spiraling down to her toes. The scent of rosemary

that tinged the air changed slightly, now underlined with

the smell of warm ocean. If she’d closed her eyes she

could have pretended to be on a strip of sand gazing out

at the azure water. But there was no way she was going

back to sleep with him in her house.

Look, before we get into this too far, let me tell you

that I’m really against becoming a vampire. And I’m not

into being a donor girl, so don’t even ask. Are we clear?”

Of course even as she said the words, her curiosity about

him spiked further. Up until now her observations of

vampires, with the exception of Kris, had been from as

far a distance as possible while she formulated a way to

reverse the virus.

Did vampire fangs get in the way when you kissed?

Beck wiped her hand across her forehead. Wow. Maybe

she was sicker than she thought. There was no way,

absolutely no way, that she should even be contemplating

kissing a strange bloodsucker, no matter how gorgeous

he was, no matter how real the fantasy in her dreams

had been before she’d awoken. After all, she reminded

herself, no matter how normal he seemed—okay, who

was she kidding, he was way better than normal—he

was still one of them.

Crystal clear. My only mission here is to protect you

and to mentor you through your transition.”

Oh. Good. Glad we got that all straightened out.”

She finally lifted a hand out to him. “My friends call

me Beck.”

He grasped her hand lightly in his, then brushed a

skimming kiss against the back of it sending an electric

arc zinging up her pulse points. “Yes, but I like your given

name.” His eyes glittered as the pad of his thumb stroked

the soft underside of her wrist. “Rebecca…Rebecca…

Rebecca.” Her name came out a soft, seductive whisper

said so slowly, so deliberately, that it sounded like a

lover’s mantra.

She yanked back her tingling hand. “Stop saying

that.”

Your name?”

She fidgeted, bunching the comforter more solidly

around her. “It just sounds wrong when you say it like

that. It makes me…uncomfortable.”

A killer smile lit up his face and made her heartbeat

stutter step. “That’s even better.” He was teasing her.

Beck whipped her body away from him so quickly

that a few of her annoying curls bounced, but at least she

could hide the tightening points of her breasts from his

view. “I’m not sure this mentor thing is going to work out

between us. I might need to see about getting someone

else.”

He chuckled, but it held a sad, hopeless edge to it.

From the corner of her eye she watched him crook his

finger at a wooden ladder-back chair she kept by her

dresser. It seemed to hover across the room and plant

itself on the floor behind him. She pulled up the bed

covers and tucked them securely under her armpits, then

twisted to face him again.

That’s funny to you?”

He smiled in a good-natured way that seemed completely

at odds with his ass-kicking appearance, then

relaxed back into the old wooden chair. It creaked in

protest. “No, it simply shows how little you truly know

about vampires. Once you’ve been given a mentor, that

mentor is yours until one of you dies.”

Curling her legs close to her belly helped with the pain.

It did nothing for the nausea or the growing hunger that

had her cramping stomach growl annoyingly. “Hardly

likely given you’re undead.”

He slanted her a mild look. “Precisely.”

So I’m stuck with you if I turn into a vampire.”

He leaned, tipping back in the precarious chair and

propped big booted feet up on the edge of the bed.

That’s right, sweetling.”

With a sweep of her arm, she knocked his boots off

her bed. They landed with a heavy thud on the floor and

he arched a dark blond brow at her.

Beck ignored the look then got up and strode with

all the confidence she could muster in her semi-dressed

state toward her closet where she grabbed a pair of jeans

and yanked them on. She glanced at the clock. Five in

the morning. With any luck there’d be no one to bother

her until 7:00 a.m. and she could make some progress

in figuring this mess out before she couldn’t think at all.

Anything was better than staying here with a massive

vampire brooding over her with a gaze that was too

intense for her liking. “Good. Then it won’t be too long,

because I’m not becoming a vampire.”

He deliberately placed his boots back on her bed,

blocking her path to the bedroom door. “Where do you

think you’re going?”

She glanced down at his legs, then stepped over them.

To work.”

He stretched in the chair, spreading out his arms that

had bulging biceps. He managed to take up even more

of her bedroom, if that was possible. Then he relaxed.

I’ll go with you.”

Beck turned and pinned her best no-nonsense glare

on him, the one that usually cowed the most persistent

interns at the lab. “No. You’re not. I’m going to work.

You don’t work there.”

Aren’t you the least bit interested in playing doctor

with me?” He grinned, showing normal, even, very

white teeth. The effect of his killer smile would have

been devastating to any normal woman. For Beck is

was catalytic. She hadn’t had a date in so long because

she’d been too focused on her research. She’d managed

to forget how the air in the room could shift and change

in an instant, wrapping around you like a heated blanket

when a guy as virile as this was close by. Okay, being

truly honest, she’d never dated someone like this. Not

even close. Why would she? He was a vampire. Oh, why

on earth had Kris sent him?

The intensity of him vibrated in the room. She felt

like a hydrophilic molecule to water, helpless to resist

him and that sensation took her aback for an instant. She

couldn’t feel attraction to a vampire. After all, look what

it had apparently gotten her mother. It wasn’t logical. Her

common sense scrambled trying to come up with some

fact she could fixate on instead of the rush and tumble

of sensations crashing around her insides. There was no

way she was going to answer his question.

I thought vampires had fangs.” How she managed the

words when her mouth was so dry, she had no idea.

He leaned forward resting his thick forearms on the

tops of his black jean clad thighs. God, she bet his butt

looked spectacular in those jeans. Snap out of it, Doctor.

Remember there’s an us vs. them at work here and unless

you want to start playing for the other team, you better

freakin’ pull yourself together.

Wanna see?” His eyes glittered.

Beck shook her head pressing her fingertips to her

throbbing temples. “Yes. No. I mean I don’t need you

to show me anything.”

But you’re curious.” The teasing tone of his voice

was seductive enough to make her nipples pucker.

He’d definitely taken her mind off the pain that was

lessening now. A dull aching throb she didn’t like, but

could ignore if she concentrated. “No. I’m a scientist.

Any interest is purely out of a desire to bolster my current

research.”

He glanced at the platinum Rolex on his thick wrist.

It’s 5:00 a.m. I give you four hours, maybe five, max.

By then you’ll be so hungry you’ll be begging me to help

you.”

Beck huffed and started walking out of the bedroom.

She stopped midstep and leaned back past the edge of

the doorjamb to catch his intense green gaze. Ask help

from a vampire? Ha! That would be the day. “You might

want to make a note. I don’t beg. Never have. Never will.

See you.” She wiggled her fingers, grabbed her purse and

streaked toward the front door as fast as her wobbly legs

would take her.

If she’d learned anything from her mother and her

own experience as a woman in a highly competitive male

dominated profession, it was that a man like that was

trouble with a capital, neon-outlined, throbbing T.


***********************


Now on to the fabulous giveaway!

Win Some Vampire Love!
Theresa is giving away a special Vampire Love Pack which includes a pair of high-quality customizable fangs you can use again and again, an autographed copy of The Vampire Who Loved Me and a luxury bubble bar from LUSH so you can soak your cares away in a truly movie-style bubble bath while you read.

Sorry, open to U.S. residents only. Leave a comment here, along with a way to contact you if you win. This giveaway is open through July 4th. Good Luck!!


Visit Bewitching Book Tours to check out the other stops on this tour!

Review: The Vampire Who Loved Me


Synopsis:
Dr. Rebecca Chamberlin hated nothing more than the vampires who had turned her loved ones into creatures of the night…until she became one herself. Now her experimental vaccine has become more urgent than ever, and has made her the target of vampire security chief Achilles Stefanos.

Built like a god with golden hair and an irresistible allure, Achilles made her feel passion the way no mortal man had before. Beck could no more deny her craving for him than she could the hated bloodlust in her veins. But when her vaccine fell into the wrong hands, Beck had a difficult choice to make—one that challenged everything she'd always believed....


Review:



The Vampire Who Love Me is a Harlequin Nocturne book. Goodreads says that it is book #113 so I didn't know if all of these were just stand-alone books. I'd say that this book could be read as a stand-alone, but apparently there is one other book that had some of the same characters in it that I would liked to have read first. Since I felt like I was missing out on things a little, it made it harder for me to connect with this book.

I also had a hard time connecting with the heroine - not that she wasn't well written or anything. She is a scientist and has to know why and how EVERYTHING works - I would have liked to see her just relax and live life. Rebecca (also known as Beck) is a great heroine though. She's not one of those damsel in distress types. She's stubborn, independent, and capable of taking care of things herself. She never really "needed" a man in her life, yet she yearned to be important to somebody.

Achilles is everything you could want in a hero - strong, protective, intelligent, sexy, a warrior... He also has a brooding side - he has gone through a lot of heartache. I would say that Achilles is my favorite character from this book. The secondary characters in this book were the lead characters in a previous book - The Truth About Vampires (#107). They seemed like likable characters and I found myself wanting to know more about them.

The plot in this story was really good - definitely unique and intriguing. The writing was good as well, I didn't notice any errors. I wasn't all that excited about the ending though - I thought it was a little too convenient. There was some passion involved, as well as romance and suspense. I do recommend this book to others - especially vampire fans. If there is a 3rd book, I would definitely be interested in reading it.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Review: Lucas by Eliza Gayle

Title: Lucas
Author: Eliza Gayle
Source: Received from author in exchange for an honest review



Synopsis:
Kira MacDonald is in trouble. Plagued by false visions and erotic dreams of a man she's never met, she fears losing both her psychic powers and her sanity. The cure? Finding and bonding with her mate. The stubborn red-haired warrior might not want one, but fate has other plans, plans that include her rescuing Lucas Gunn.

As the Guardian of his shapeshifting clan, Lucas Gunn lived a quiet, solitary life until he was kidnapped, examined, and tortured. Now imprisoned, his only tie to the outside world is the memory of his dreams and the passionate woman who appears in them. He thought she was nothing more than a vision. Then she came for him.

An uneasy alliance, a mating call that won't be denied, rituals that must be honored, and unrelenting enemies who will stop at nothing to get what they want. It all comes together in the first of Eliza Gayle's sensational Black Cougar Series. Passion and pride. Duty and danger. In the end, there's really only one choice...for Lucas.




Review:



Lucas is the first book in the Black Cougar series. I really enjoyed this book. Lucas is a guardian shifter who has been captured for information about his clan. Lucas is an alpha male, and you just can't help but like that! In his dreams, he keeps seeing a girl named Kira.

Kira is a member of another clan, but is not a shifter. She does, however, have special abilities. One of those abilities include dream-walking with the man she believes is her mate. Through these dreams, Kira figures out where Lucas is being held so she rescues him – even though he acts like a cocky jerk. For various reasons, Kira doesn't want to let Lucas know that he is her mate. They are both stubborn, independent people, and the mating ceremony would bind them together for life.

There was only one thing that bothered me about this book. Apparently, if someone is your mate – there's not much you can do about it. You are drawn to this person and are meant to be together. In this book though, if you mate with someone outside of your clan, you're in a LOT of trouble. I don't really understand this since the mating really can't be helped.

This book is smokin' HOT. Lucas and Kira really are like animals – they feel the need to have sex anywhere and everywhere. Just a warning – these love scenes are pretty graphic. Of course, that may increase your desire to read this book :) There is also mystery, suspense, and danger added to the mix to make the story exciting. One of the characters introduced in this book is Kane, who is the younger brother of Lucas. I really liked Kane and I'm happy to see the the 2nd book in this series is about him. With this authors' writing style, I'm sure it will be just as steamy as the first!

You can find the author at the following places:

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You can find the book Lucas at the following places:

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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Review: Takedown by Stacey Kennedy

Title: Takedown
Author: Stacey Kennedy
Source: Received from author in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis:
U.S. Marshal Wyatt Tanning has been on the hunt for a killer on the run in Turks and Caicos. A week into the investigation, he has absolutely nothing to show for his efforts. Feeling defeated he returns to Castillo Resort to drown his frustrations. There he meets UFC fighter, Rye Daniels. Now the resort’s bartender, Rye recognizes a man that has been beaten down, but he also senses a shared attraction that is hard to ignore. Wyatt might not be ready to step out from behind the shadow of lies, but Rye will stop at nothing to unleash the beast within.

Review:



First, I have to say that I don't normally read stuff quite like this. This was my first male/male romance. Ok, maybe romance isn't the right word. Erotica. Stacey Kennedy is one of my favorite authors though, so when I heard about this book I was intrigued. I didn't know if I'd like it, but I have a pretty open mind so I thought, why not?

It was HOT. I mean, Stacey Kennedy is the queen of writing HOT scenes and apparently it doesn't matter if it's male/female, male/male, etc... I liked how both men were the tough macho types. Honestly, if one of the men had feminine mannerisms (you know what I'm talking about), I don't think I could have gotten into it. I also liked how Wyatt tried to deny that he had any sexual interest in the same sex.

This is a very short novella – meant to be read in one setting, because you just can't sit it down and walk away saving the rest for later. Now, since it is so short, there is no time for romance. It's all about passion the whole way through. This book is pretty graphic, so definitely for the 18+ crowd. If you have any interest at all in this type of thing, give this book a try!


Find Stacey Kennedy at the following places:

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Find Takedown here:

Amazon

Smashwords

Decadent Publishing